It's a sad reality that the unexpected death of public figures tends to invite spurious intrigue - especially if under controversial circumstances. Arguably, though one that's defined the 20th century is Princess Diana of Wales, who lost her life in a fatal car crash in August of 1997.
Now, a Tennessee-based theme park masterminded by the National Enquirer has created a virtual reality 'show' simulating the accident, which also invites participants to vote on a variety of different conspiracy theories surrounding Princess Diana's death, including whether or not the Royal Family were involved.
As part of the new National Enquirer Live! theme park (which also features experiences themed on Bigfoot and Alien conspiracies) the 3D simulation recreates the crash, showing the car travelling into the tunnel and slamming into the divider. Prior to the crash, the simulation follows Diana's footsteps from the Ritz hotel to the car and finally, gives you the option to vote on different conspiracy theories from whether the royal family were involved to whether Diana was pregnant with Dodi Al Fayad's child (a theory which was jettisoned both by the post-mortem and testing of pre-tranfusion blood which was found to have no trace of the pregnancy hormone hCG).
Amusement manager Robin Turner told the Daily Beast, 'It’s projected, and you see the buildings and everything in a 3D presentation. And it shows the pathway as she left the Ritz hotel, and the paparazzi chasing her, and the bang-flash that we think blinded the driver—and how it happened.’
USA Today claim that the reports are 'exaggerated', stating that 'It's been erroneously reported the attraction is a theme park and there's a fiery death crash scene ride'. While Robin Turner has said ‘There’s no blood. There’s none of that,’ she continued. ‘You see the car crash through computer animation,’ the amusement manager - who is also one of the principal investors in the park - adding, 'it's done in a positive fashion. It brings attention to the different theories behind it that the Enquirer has covered over the years…The biggest sensitivity of all is, do you think she was pregnant with Dodi’s baby?'
Unsurprisingly, in spite of the re-assurances that the attraction is 'positive' and shows no blood people have done little to dispel the outrage over widespread ethical problems with the 'attraction'. One twitter user wrote, 'A theme park based on Diana’s death – where you can pay to reenact the car crash is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard'. Others have called it 'vile', 'tasteless' and 'disgusting'.
As we approach the 22nd anniversary of Princess Diana's death, one of the most troubling elements of the accident, remains to be the macabre interest and press attention that ensued afterwards. Hounded by the press in life, posthumously we have seen the Princess of Wales's life unacceptably intruded over and over again through conspiracy theories, documentaries and unflattering memoire's speculating about her personal life and relationships: this theme park inclusion is just another example of that.
It goes without saying - but Princess Diana's death isn't a game show to be voted on, an enigmatic puzzle to be solved or an amusement to be turned into an attraction. In any capacity (and for the sake of her son's, Prince Harry and William) it should be treated with respect to her privacy and that of her family.